Visiting family in Colorado Springs recently, I was reminded of the 2012 Waldo Canyon forest fire, a fire that decimated 350 homes in the neighborhood where my folks live. It was the most destructive fire in Colorado state history (when measured by number of houses burned). Locals have begun to write down and publish their experiences of this event, including the evacuation of over 32,000 residents in multiple communities during the fiercest days of that lengthy fire. My parents were among those forced to evacuate, not knowing if their home would be lost to the flames. Thankfully, the wind changed directions, averting the advancing fire, before it was too late for them. Visual reminders mark the difference between families whose blocks benefited from outcomes like my parents' and those who have faced the long process of rebuilding their lives in the wake of fire.
As I have been making my home in Atlanta these last seven months, I have noticed daily changes in my neighborhood. The pace of development—blocks transforming practically overnight—feels breathtaking. I am most keenly aware of how Midtown is evolving whenever I walk to work. The reality that Atlanta always has been a dynamic urban environment does not eclipse the truth that many have been displaced amid this evolving terrain. I may not know their stories. I may never learn where they used to live. Not unlike those Coloradans, perhaps they have been affected by forces of change in our world, and find themselves in a process of trying to reclaim the refuge of home.
All Saints’ is considering the rapid change in Midtown as an invitation to spiritual discernment. Our church home is a gift we aspire to steward well, daring to wield our presence, passion, and parish resources to participate in God’s purposes in the wider world. Such discernment involves examining the needs of our neighbors in this city and noticing where our world still waits to be transformed by God’s dream of peace, justice, and belonging for humankind.
Our “
Faith in the City
” series this year, hosted by our rector, The Rev. Simon Mainwaring, and The Rev. Natosha Reid Rice offers a way into this parish-wide discernment. Each of these Sunday forums, held in Ellis Hall from 10:20-11:05am, will be followed by a deeper-dive conversation the Wednesday evening immediately thereafter, from 6:30-8:00pm in the Parish House. We hope you will take part in these forums and discussions, as you seek to serve Christ in all the neighborhoods of Atlanta in which you move in daily life.
Renee Glover will join us this Sunday, as guest speaker for the first forum in our series. Ms. Glover is an expert on urban revitalization, real estate development, and community building. Her leadership has guided the Atlanta Housing Authority, Habitat for Humanity International, and the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission. Her wisdom and experience offer a unique lens for our conversation as this unfolding discernment leads us to consider how our faith calls us to live “in the city, for the city” (a phrase you have heard at least once, if you’ve been around All Saints’ for any time at all).
As you remember and give thanks for the places in your life where you feel at home, including All Saints’ own block in Midtown Atlanta, please lift up that gratitude to God in prayer and ask how you are called to be mindful of our neighbors, including individuals who struggle to retain adequate housing and who may lack a sense of connection and belonging. Wherever we reside with dear ones, amid the bustle of this city, may these havens be sacred places from which we are sent forth to do God’s work in the world. And may our courage grow as, together, we imagine ways to restore and strengthen the vulnerable in our world who seek that same stability, comfort, and safety of home.
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The Rev. Sarah Stewart
Associate Rector for Young Adults and Innovation
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Share a Meal with the Men of Covenant Community
- Thursday, January 30, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
- Covenant Community, 623 Spring Street NW (on the Spring Street side of the All Saints’ campus...park in the church parking lot)
Join us tonight! We're having chicken broccoli casserole for dinner. If you are able to join and would like to bring a side item share, please
sign-up here
. We'll spend 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. getting to know the guys and preparing the meal in Covenant’s kitchen. We are planning to eat at 6:00 p.m. and will clean-up afterwards. You are welcome to join at any point in the evening!
If you have questions or would like to RSVP, please email Alexsis Skeen at
aleskeen@gmail.com.
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This Sunday: Faith in the City Series Begins
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Faith in the City Series:
Atlanta’s Renaissance and America’s Urban Housing Crisis
- Forum
- Sunday, February 2, 10:20—11:05 a.m.
- Ellis Hall, 1st Floor, Parish House
- Follow-Up Discussion
- Wednesday, February 5, 6:30—8:00 p.m.
- Ross Room, 3rd Floor, Parish House
Join us for the first session in our
Faith in the City series
, led by Simon Mainwaring and Natosha Reid Rice, to deepen understanding of issues, widen appreciation of differing perspectives, and inspire lives of faithfulness in the public square. Each Sunday session of the series will be followed by an in-depth discussion on the following Wednesday night.
The topic of the first session is
Atlanta’s Renaissance and America’s Urban Housing Crisis
. Rev. Natosha Reid Rice will preach at the 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. services and we're excited to welcome Renee Glover as our guest speaker for the forum. Ms. Glover is an expert on the topics of urban revitalization, real estate development, and community building. Her leadership has guided the Atlanta Housing Authority, Habitat for Humanity International, and the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission.
Click here
to learn more about Ms. Glover and this series.
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True Justice: A Movie, Panel, and Conversation about Racial Inequality in our Criminal Justice System
- Sunday, February 9
- 4:30 p.m.—7:30 p.m.
- The Temple, 1589 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta
Join members of the All Saints' community and The Temple’s Racial Justice Committee for a screening of the documentary about the life and work Bryan Stevenson, the public interest lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative.
The event includes a condensed version of this film, which tracks the intertwined histories of slavery, lynching, segregation, and mass incarceration, followed by a panel discussion and conversation over dinner. The cost is $12 per person;
click here
to register online.
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Will you help us? Take this survey about service!
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The
All Saints' Young Adults Service Team
wants to gain a better understanding of the types of service opportunities that you are interested in and which days of the week work best. Please take a few minutes to provide your input via this survey. Thank you!
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Young Adult Formation Series:
In Faith
- Sunday, February 16
- 10:20—11:05 a.m.
- P202, 2nd Floor, Parish House
On the third Sunday of each month, join us to explore resources from our Christian tradition that can support us in our daily lives.
Winter/Spring Dates
: February 16, April 19, and May 17.
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All Saints' Quiet Night
- Tuesday, February 18
- 7:30—8:30 p.m.
- Chapel
Join us for a peaceful evening of prayer and contemplation, featuring music familiarized by the monastic brothers of Taizé, France. Bring friends, family, and your whole selves to rest and be restored in God’s presence.
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February Saints on Tap
- Thursday, February 20
- 7:00—9:30 p.m.
- Pijui Belly, 678 10th St NW, Atlanta
Join our young adults to get a taste of what the Westside has to offer at Pijiu Belly, a Korean Chinese Gastropub. Please RSVP to Michael Asmussen at
michael.asmussen@gmail.com
.
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Thursday, January 30
Sunday, February 2
Wednesday, February 5
Sunday, February 9
Sunday, February 16
Tuesday, February 18
Thursday, February 20
Tuesday, February 25
Wednesday, February 26
- Ash Wednesday Worship
- 7:30 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes, in the church
- 5:00 p.m. Ash Wednesday Worship Service for All Ages, in the church
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We publish this email newsletter every week or two to provide updates about what's coming up for young adults at All Saints', as well as parish-wide events that might interest you. If you do not wish to receive these updates, you can unsubscribe at any time (scroll to the bottom of the email). If you'd prefer to receive the parish-wide weekly newsletter instead (or in addition),
click here
and select the Main Parish-Wide Email List.
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For more information contact The Rev. Sarah Stewart
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